Automatic stop for phonographs



A. F. BRUHY.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.27.1919.

Patented N 0V. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. F. BRUHY.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLlcATloN FILED SEPT. 27. 1919.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

board of a phonograph oi UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER F. BRUHY, OF PLYMOUTH, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3,0, 1920.

v Application iled `September 27, 1919. Serial No. 326,810.

cially, to the means employed for stopping the machine at the end of the record being played,'or at any other predetermined point of the record thatmayrbe desired.

The objects of my invention are to pro-- duce a simple, economical, and easily applied attachment, applicableto the conventional type of phonographs or talking-ma.- cliines, and which is capable of positively,

instantly, and automatically stopping `the.

machine at the end ofthe record being played, -or at any predetermined point thereof desired; and, furthermore, if preferred, to combine `with such attachment, a cheap and simple means for regulating the speed ofthe moto-r, and, hence, the tempo or time in uf'hich the record is played, thus obviating the necessity of employing a separate mechanism for Ythis purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring tothe drawings: Y `Figure 1'V is ar plan view of the 'motorf the conventional type, the tone-arm being shown in ydotted lines, therecord-supporting table being Lremoved, and my invention applied to said motor-hoard;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the .line 2 2 certain partsbeing shown in elevation; I

Fig. 3, is an enlargedfront elevationin detail or" my attachment, parts being shown in section forthe purpose of better illustratien-g. f.

Fig. et is detail in plan of the oscillating plunger-supporting bifurcated friction- Y shoe and the plunger operating in connection therewith; and Y Y i is av detail in elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating a slightly modified form' of plunger.

,Similar numeralsof reference indicate similar parts in all the figures of the drawings.

ln the illustration employed for the pui"- pose of typifying my invention and showing its application, 1 designates the motorboai'd of the well known commercial type of phonographsl or talking-machines, to the underside of which is bolted, as is usual, tlie frame 2, of, in this instance, a spring-motor, but which may support a motor driven by any other power.

The motor, which is of the conventional type, in addition to other mechanism hereinafter mentioned, comprises the usual rec-l ord-supporting shaft 3, at the upper end of which, reduced as at 4, is supported the table 6. This shaft is vertically disposed and has its upper reduced end projected through and above an opening 5 formed in the motorboard. Near its middle, the shaft carries a worm-gear 6a, and at its lower end is provided with a small pinion 7, the latter meshing with a larger pinion 8, operated through the spring-actuated drum 9, in the manner usual in vthis class of motors.

. A governor-shaft 10, disposed horizontally, is journaled in the frame perpendicular to the shaft 3, and is provided at its inner end with a worm 11, meshing with and driving the worm-gear of the shaft 3. The govcrnor-sliaft is further provided at its opposite end with axed collar 12, and between the latter and the worm 11, with a sliding collar 13, the latter being the hub of the brake-disk 14. These two collars are lconnected by flexible straps 15, and the latter,

.near the middles, carry weights 16. The

llg'oveiner operates in a manner well known, the speed of the shaft serving kto bow the straps and thus drawA the sliding collar and its disk toward the fixed collar and against a brake-shoe positioned in the path of said disk, whereby the speed of the motor. is ieduced. The motor is further provided with theusual winding-sha ft 17, which latter 'carries a gea-r 18, that meshes with and drives a master-gear 19, of the spring-drum, whereby, the spring in the'latter is placed under the desired tension for operating the motor. Nlhe tone-arm 20, ismounted to swivel vin the usual flanged-ring 2i, and hassupported upon it, in 'any convenient ;manner and at its front, a, depending striker-arm 23,.- Iii this instance, I employ a split clamping-ring22 for the purpose of supporting the striker-arm, said ring being rigid upon,

and "therefore, adapted to move with the arm in the travels ofthe latter.

Secured upon the upper Side or' the motorboard, by means of suitable screws, and di-V agonally disposed upon said board immediately in front of the opening` 5 thereof, is.

an attaching-plate 24, provided at its inner Side with' an angularly disposed extension 25,-in which is located an adj Listing-screw 26,

the yobject ofA which will hereinafter appear.

At its outer end the attaching-plate is upturned-to'foim a flange 27, Vand the latter is, in this instance, provided with a vhorizontalslot 28.

. In a circular 'opening' 29, formed in the plate 24, adjacent its rear end, and depend- Y ing through a corresponding,` opening 32,

. formed in the 'motor'board, is vertically vmovable plunger 30, at the lower end of which Lbe secured a somewhat `enlarged Vhead 31, preferably formed ot lrubber or rhis plunf ger' is Vpositioned vertically opposite the some other frictional material.

. brake-disk 14. of the governor-shaft ofthe motor, so that whenV lowered or dropped by gravitythe brake-shoe will contact with the i perimeter or' the brake-disk 14'and thus ar? rest further rotations of said .disk and, hence, the operation ofthe motor. y

If it be desired to Combine with thestopmechanism now partly described, a means for regulating the speed or the motor, this l; may 'be accomplished by securing` to the plunger 30 so as to depend'theretrom and engages loosely the reduced inner end of a lever 37, the outerl end 10i whichpasses fthroughand beyond the slot` 28 formed in the flange 27 of the plate 24 and, in :this 'inf Y stanca-terminates at its outer extremity in Y a reduced indicator V38, designed to be conveniently'moved laterally over a dial 39,;di--

vided' into 'degrees and affixed to thejupper side'of the motorboard,-through a knob 40 located on the upper side 'of the said lever 1 l At its inner 'end,beyond vthe opening 295 'isf ak bifurcated or vfork-shaped Voscillating Yfrietion-plate V148, the opposite bifurcations Y 49iand 50, of whiclnlie vor 'are disposed at opposite sides of the. plunger 30 and areldis'- tanced apart :slightly greater than is the diameterA of said plunger, so thatfas will be apparent, when 'one of,saidffbifnrcations is r Vin frictional contact with the side o'f'the plunger theopposite bifurcation'` will beY f slightly spaced from said'plunger and when said bifurcationsare `cut of Contact wit'hthe plunger "the latter 4is free-to move ^`vertically inlsaid opening-29 of theattaching-plate, all for a purpose hereinafter described.

For the purpose of supporting the mentioned oscillating. bifurcated friction-plate 48, and other parts now to be described, I employ a lieadedbolt 42, passing the'same upwardly through the'bolt-hole 41, formedn'ear 'the rear endbiand in the attachingplate 24. Interposed between the upper suri'ace of the attaching-plate 24, andthe unde1 su1face of the 'oscillating plate 48, so as to have lirictional contact with the latter,

and pivotally mounted upon'the bolt 42, is a trip-arm 43, which extends rearwardly and terminates in thecircu'lar path of the strikerarm 23 carried by the tone-arm. For the purpose of rendering noiseless -thecontact between the striker-arm and 'the trip-arm,

preerablyprovide the latter, atits rear extremity, with a rubberv covering 4T.- Inas'mucli as the distance between the' tone-arm o and the governondisk of-motors willr vary, I prefer to const-ructthe trip-arm' in overlap'iing slidable sections 44 and 45, slotting one as at 45,.an d providing the other' section with adjusting-screws 46, so that vsaid trip-'arm is 'thereby/*made extensible and hence the attachment adapted'ior any'type ot "pl'ionog'raph or Vtalki1'igymacliine The, inner or longer [of the bifurcations 49'1and 50ct the oscillating friction-plate 48, has attached thereto one end of -a light coiled-spring 51, 'fthe foppositer end of which maybe attached .toV the end of '-a Ushap`ed adjusting-plate Y52, 'overlying the extension 25 of theJattachingeplate 24, and being held inadjusted position bythe clamping-screw 26, heretofore mentioned. The tendency of this spring, as Vwill be seen, is to normally maintain that 'bifurcation of the oscillating yfrictionpl ate'48 designated 50, inV trictional contact with-the side ofthe plunger-O, 'so that saidplunger is retained in position relative tolsaid friction-plate'unless said plate isoscillated, when freed it will drop by gravity, the lower end of the plunger, or rather its friction-head l81,VV then contarting with and arresting the motion offthe tgovernor-Y disk 14l andlience ,themoton-v Y .Y

Upon the bolt. 42, and surmounting Vthe friction-plate 4S, isfaclamping-nut 54,

spring-washer 53, preferably being interposed between'said nut fand said plate48.y The" Vnut is sufficiently tightened npon thc bolt to cause the desiredfriction between the plate .48 and the arm'll-S; thatis to say, so

f that vthe arm 43 willretain any position in which itis Yplacedand vet be capable otbeing the friction between the 'parts must be suili-v `moved" even by the'lipjhtV contact of the l striker-arm V23 carried by vthe tone-arm... -Also, invso far asV the plate148is concerned,

cientl to overcome the tendency ot theYA Vspringe,` 51.

This-complemente construeren of my 'in- Yes swings the trip-arm to vention, and, assuming the motor to be locked against operating, and therefore, the plunger 30 as being lowered so thatits head 31 is in contact with the periphery of the governor-dish 14, the operation of adjusting the parts so as to stop the machine at a predetermined point, as, for instance, the end of the record to be played, and for starting the motor, may be described briefly as follows:

The record to be played being in position upon the table 6, the tone-arm is swung so as to bring the stylus or needleto a point on the record where it is desired the'machine should be stopped. The operator then a point where it contacts with the depending striker-arm 23at which point it will be permitted to remain, and the tone-arm is then reversed in .Y its movement so as to bring the stylus or needle at the point of beginning of the record. The operator having adjusted the lever 37 laterally over the dial' to permit the motor to operate at the desired speed, said lever is now depressed at' its outer end, and, fulcruming upon the lower edge of the slot 28 of the attaching-plate, at its inner end raises the plunger from its contacting position with the governor-disk 14, thus liberating the latter and consequently the motor and permitting the latter to operate. As will be apparent, the speed' of the motor, and, hence the time or tempo in which the piece is played, if it be a musical composition, is regulated bythe position of the brake-h ad 35 with reference to the governor-disk, that is to say, by oscillating the lever 37 and hence partially rotatingv the plunger' 30 the plug` 35 will be adjusted with relation to the brake-disk 14, it being understood that the more contiguousthe plug is to the face of the disk, the less the speed of the motor. `When finally the stylus or needle reaches the point upon the record, usually the' end, where the striker-arm 23 contacts with the rear end of the trip-arm 44,'the latter will be moved laterally a short distance with the travel of the tone-arm, and the frictional contact between the trip-arm'and the friction-plate 48 is suiiicient to cause said trip arm, when thusmoved, to cause an oscillation of said plate in the opposite direction or so that the inner edge of its bifurcation 50 isV withdrawn from contact with the side of the plunger,- so that the latter is thus liberated from such frictional engagement and falls by gravitytoits position against the' periphery of the governor-disk. The

rotations of vthe'governor-disk, and, hence, the motor, are instantly` arrested andthe marhine thus stopped at the desired point. The trip-arm once having been set to stop the machine at the end of the record, may be permitted'to remainl in such position, and

therefore need not be readjusted for each succeeding record played. Regardless of the automatic feature of the invention, it will be seen that the machine may be stopped by hand at any intermediate point of the recor simply by depressing the plunger by elevL ig the outer end of the lever 37.

ltwill be understood, of course, thus the slot may be simply an opening approximating' the shape in cross-section of the lever 3?, that said lever will simply raise and lower and have no lateral means of adjustment, in which lcase the brake-arm 33 and parts carried thereby will be omitted and the usual independent timing-means depended upon for timing the motor.

Or, as l have illustrated in Fig. 5, l may provide the head of the plunger with a beveled lower end 56, formed at the bottom of its head 55. By this arrangement and a means for vertically adjusting the plunger, the beveled lower end of the latter may be brought nearer or farther from the periphery of the governor-disk in the same manner as is the head heretofore described, so that the plunger not only acts to arrest the operation of the motor but also to regulate its speed as well. Y

The mechanismr desc 1ibed will be found to be instantaneous in its action, as well as exceedingly positive and absolutely noiseless, there being no contact of metal against metal, the moving parts quickly coming to a noiseless stop the instant the striker-arm contacts with the trip-arm. It will also be oliiserved that the attachment is of a very simple and. economical. construction, consisting of few and substantial parts, leaving nothing to require future repair or future adjustment; and .finally that it isapplicable to any and all of the well known mal-res of phonographs or talking-machines.

i Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a phonograph and-itsr motor, of a vertically recij'irocating plunger l mounted in an opening in the motor-board at one side of the tin-n-taldc support and adapted-at its lower end to brake upon moving part of said motor, means for supporting the plunger in its elevated position Vand outof the brakingengagement with the motor, and means carried by the `tone-arm for releasing said plunger. l

"2. The combination vith a phonograph and its motor, of a vertically movable grav.- ity plunger mounted in an opening in the motor-board at one yside of the turn-table support and adapted by its own weight to fall and brake upon a moving partof said motor,' means for supporting the plunger in its elevated position and out of braking engagement'with the motor` and means operable` by' .the tone-arm for releasing said plunger.

3. Thecombination with a phonograph means for supporting the plunger in its elevated position and out of braking engagement with the motor, and meansrcarried byv the tone-arm `for releasing said plunger andv permittingitto tal-l by gravity into braking engagement with a moving `part of said motor.

4:. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, oi' a vertically movable plunger mounted in an opening in the motore board at oney side oi the turn-table support and adapted at its lower end to brake upon a moving part of said motor,pmeans carried by the motor-board for supporting the plunger in its elevated position and out of braking engagement with the motor, and lmeans Y carried by the tone-arm for releasing said plunger.

',5. The combination with aphonograph,

j and'its motor, of a vertically movable plunger mounted in an opening in the motorboard at one side of the turn-table support and adapted at its lower end toV brake upon a moving part of said motor, an oscillating plate carried by said motor-board and engag-ing and adapted to support the plunger in its elevated `position and .out of braking engagement with the motor, and means car- Vried, bythe tone-,arm for Voscillatingr said plate to release the said plunger.

. 6. The combination with a phonograph,

' and 'itsrmotor, of a vertically movable plunl and adapted at its lower end to brake upon A ger, saidV armv being adjustable lengthwise,

ger mounted in an opening in the motorboard at one side of the turn-table support a movingpart of' said motor, means carried by the motor-board. for supporting the plunger in its elevated position and out of braking engagement with the motor, an arm positioned onthe motor-board and adapted to operate said latter means to release the plunger, and means'carried by the tone-arm for operating said arm.

7. The combination witha phonograph, and itsmotor, of a vertically movable plungermounted in an opening in the motorboard at one side of the turn-table support and adapted-'at its lower end to brake upon moving part of said motor, means carried by the motor-,boardfor supporting the plunger in its elevated position and out of braking engagementwiththe motor, an arm positioned on'the motor-board andv adapted to operate saidlatter means to release the plunand means carried by the tone-arm for op erating said arm.

V8, T he combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of a vertically movable plun-vr ger mounted in an opening in the motorboard at one side of the turn-table support and adapted at its lower end to brake upon a moving part ofsaid motor, means carried by the motor-board orsupporting the plunger in its elevated position and outof braking engagement with the motor, an arm po sitioiied on the motor-board and adapted to operate said latter means to release theplunger, said arm being adjustablev laterally, and means carried 'bythe tone-arm4 i'or operating said arm. v

y 9. The combination lwith aY phonograph, and itsmotoi, of a vertically movable plunger adapted at its lower end to brake upon a moving part of said motor, a biiurcated oscillating plate embracing said plunger andhaving one oi its arms normally in engagement therewith whereby to supportit in its elevated or inoperative position, means for elevating said plunger, means connected with said bifurcated plate for oscillating the same to release the plunger, and means carried by thetone-ar-m for operating said latter means when said tone-arm has reached a point in its travel where said two means Contact.Y Y Y V v 10. Thecombination'with a phonograph, and its motor, of a vertically movable plun ger adapted at its lower end to brake '.upon a moving part of saidmotor, a bifurcated oscillating plate emb 'acing said :plunger and having one-of its arms normally in engagement therewith, whereby to support it in its elevatedor inoperative position, means for elevating said plunger, an arm conf nected with said bifurcatedV plate for oscillating the sarnetoreleasethe plunger, and striking-means carried by the tone-arm for operating said arm. Y

l1. The combination witha phonograph, and its motor, of a. vertically movable-plunger adaptedat its lower end to brake upon a moving part of said'motor, a pivote'dbifurcated oscillating-plate embracing said plunger and having .one ofits arms normally in engagement therewith, wherebyto support it in its elevated or Vinoperative position, means for elevating said plunger,ran arm pivotally mounted in frictional engagement with saidioscillating plate and extending to a point Vadjacent the'tone-arm, and a. strik- Y ing-"means carried by the tone-arm and adaptedto operate the arm, whereby to. os-

cillate 'said plate to release said plunger.

Y 12; The combination with a phonograph, its motor-board having ank opening'and its motor, the lattercomprising a governordisk, of a plunger adapted to freciprocate in the opening in the motor-board'at one side of the turn-table support and at its lower end tobrake upon said-disk,means .for recipsaid disk, means for supporting the plunger in its raised inoperative position, and means rocating the plunger vertically away from Y I carried by the tone-arm for operating said latter means to release said plunger and per- .l init-it to drop and resume braking-engageboard at one side of the turn-table support and adapted at itsv lower end to brake upon the governor-disk oiy said motor, a speed regulating device carried b y the lower end of the plunger and regulated as to its position with relation to the face of the disk by means of the rotations of said plunger, means tor raising and lowering and rotating said plunger, means for holding said plunger out contact with the disk, and means carried by the tone-arm for operating said latter means for the purpose of releasing said plunger so as to assume braking engagement with the disk.

let- The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of a reciprocating rotatable plunger mounted in an opening in the motorboard at one side ot the turn-table support and ar'iapted its inner lower end to brake upon the governor-disk of said motor, an arm carried the plunger and depending to a point in t' e path ot the face of said disk and having a friction-head, means for elevating and rotatin0` said plunger, means for holding said plunger when positioned, and means operable by the movement of the tonearm for releasing said holding-means when said tone-arm has reached a predetermined point er its travel. n

l5. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, oi" a reciprocating rotatable plunger mounted iii an opening in the motorboard c one side oi' the turn-table support and adapted its lower end to brake upon the periphery et the governor-disk of said motor an arm carried by the plunger and depending to a position in the path of the face of said disk and having a friction head, means for elevating and rotating said plunger, means for holding said plunger when positioned, an arm for operating said latter means, and a striker carried by the tone-arm and adapted to move said arm when said tone-arm has reached a predetermined point of its travel.

16. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of a reciprocating plunger mounted in an opening in the motor-board at one side of the turn-table support and adapted at its lower end to brake upon --a moving vpart of said motor, an operating lever for said plunger pivotally connected at its inner end thereto, a holding-means adapted to oscillate and normally engaging and supporting said plunger in .its elevated inoperative position, an arm adpistably mounted upon said holdingmeans and adapted when operated to disengage said means and liberateY the plunger, and a striker-means carried by tlietone-arm and adapted to operate said arm when said tone-arm reaches a predetermined point in its travel.

17. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of a vertically reciprocating oscillating plunger adapted when lowered to make braking contact With the disk of said motor, and arm depending from said plunger and carrying a friction head in the path of the face of said disk, a lever iulcrumed, adapted to laterally vibrate and pivotally connected to said plunger so as to elevate and rotate the same, a dial at the outer end of and over which said lever is adapted to move, meansV 'for normally holding said plunger in its elevated position, and means carried by the tone-arm for releasing said holding-means Vwhen said tone-arm has reached a predetermined point of its travel.

18. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of an attaching-plate secured upon the motor-board of the machine, said plate having' vone end upturned and provided with a slot, a vertically reciprocating plunger mounted to oscillate in an opening in the plate and motor-board above the governor-disk of the motor, whereby its lower end will make braking contact with the periphery of said disk when said plunger is lowered, an arm carried by the plunger and kdepending therefrom to a point opposite the face of said disk and provided with a friction-head a lever pivotally connected to the plunger at one end, passing through, fulcrumed in and laterally movable in the slot of said attaching-plate, a holding-means for supporting the plunger when operated, and means carried by the tone-arm for operating said holding-means to liberate the plunger when said tone-arm has reached a predetermined point of its travel.

19. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of an attaching-plate secured upon the motor-board of the machine, said plate having one end upturned and provided with an opening, a lever fulcrumed in said opening, a reciprocating plunger pivotally connected to the inner end of the lever and adapted to be elevated from contact with the disk of the motor by a depression of the outer end of said lever, a bifurcated oscillating friction-plate pivoted upon'the attaching-plate and having its bifurcations embracing said plunger, one of which bifurca* tions is normally in engagement with the plunger for the purpose of supporting the same, a spring for effecting such engagement, an arm pivoted upon and having frictional contact with said bifurcated plate, whereby it is adjustable with relation to the same, and a striking-means carried by the tone-arm and vadapted to strike and operate said arm .to Y()Sellatef the plate and releae the plunger when said tone-arm has reached a predetermined point of its travel.

,20. The combination with a phonograph, and its motor, of an attaching-plate secured upon the motor-board of the. machine,V a re- (flpreeatlng Vplunger mounted 1n an open- Ylng ln'the attaclnngfplate above the governor-disk of the motor and'adapted at its lower endfto brake.V thereupon Whenlowered,

a pvot-bolt extending upwardly through the attaching-plate to the rear of the plunger,

a bifurcated fricton-platevmounted to os-V cllate upon said bolt `and having its arms vdisposed at opposite sldes, of said plunger.

-Y and exceeding ndistance apart the diameter ofeaid plunger, a spr-ing connected-to one ol said arms-and'at` its opposite end to the attaching-plate7V Wherebyvto oscllate said friction-plates() that the opposite arm will enge-ge the plunger, a lever ulcrumed ad-A jacent the yplunger and pvoted at its inner end to sadvplunger, :whereby to elevate the same so lthat its lower end is out ofobrakngengagement With thedsk, an arm mountedv edy to operate the lattern arm, a spring-Washer mounted on the pvot-bolt,V and a nut sur-V mounting the Washer upon said bolt.

` ALEXANDER F.V BRUHY. 

